Nursing bottle holder



e. R. LIEBENDORFER 3,065,944

Nov. 27, 1962 NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 7, 1958 GEORGIA 3. L/EBEADORFER A rmmvsrs 1962 G. R. LIEBENDORFER 3,065,944

NURSING BOTTLE HOLDER Filed Jan. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. GEORG/A R. L/EBENDORFER A7 TORNEYS United States Patent OfiT-ice 3,055,944 Patented Nov. 27, 1952 This invention relates to a nursing bottle holder, and has for one of its objects the provision of a simple, economically made, readily washable nursing bottle holder including means for suspending the same from the neck of a person in a position to enable the baby held by said person to feed from a bottle in said holder so that the hands of such person may be free for employment other than in holding the bottle, and which holder, and said means, are free from hooks, buckles and other objects that could accidentally injure an infant during the manipulation of the means for suspending the same from the neck of a person In explanation of the above, heretofore attempts have degree of securement of the holder to the bottle at all points along the holder which prevents objectionable looseness between the bottle and the holder, even when the bottle may be partially withdrawn from one end of the holder or the other for better adjustment of the bottle to the position of the baby.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the description and in the drawings.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 is illustrative of the bottle holder in use suspended from the neck of a person holding the baby and with the bottle held in a feeding position.

been made to provide nursing bottle holders for generally the same purpose as the one hereinafter described, but these have required hooks, adjusting buckles, or other mechanical devices that, in some instancesv have accidentally injured the eyes or face of the baby through striking the eyes or face in swinging the neck strap or the similar 1 member around the neck for engaging the hook, or the like, with the bottle holder itself In the present invention the means that is adapted to go around the neck of the person is completely free from any mechanical device at the end that adjustably connects with the bottle holder, therefore the neck engaging means can be freely and safely manipulated in attaching it to the bottle holder in a position for holding the bottle in a nursing position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a nursing bottle holder having means thereon adapted to suspend the bottle holder from the neck of a person, and which means is in the form of a strip or ribbon connected at 'opposte ends thereof to the bottle holder in a manner that an adjustment of the effective length of the strip may be made without the use of buckles or similar devices, and which strip will automatically become disconnected from the bottle holder upon the same being pulled at one end relative to the holder, and upon the free end of the ribbon being pulled upon at the other end thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a simple structure in a bottle holder that will enable the holder having the nursing bottle therein to be connected with the Wrist of a baby, or held securely by the hand of any person, or suspend from the neck of a person holding the baby, or connected to a pillow irrespective of the variations in size, and which structure is economical to make.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of a nursing bottle holder that is in the form of a yieldably expansible, elongated, tubular, open-ended body of flexible, relatively soft material of uniform diameter from end to end thereof, into which the nursing bottle may be inserted or withdrawn from either end, and in which the .bottle may be safely held in different degrees of extension from either end of the body, and which body includes heat insulating material that will materially reduce the rate of heat transfer from the bottle and its contents to the air.

Advantages of the structure adapted to accomplish the above objects include that of being able to visibly see the contents of the bottle when it is held in the holder from either end of the holder, and the frictional securement of the holder to bottles of different sizes and shapes due to the yieldable expansibility of the holder, and the uniform Indicated in dot-dash line is the position of the bottle when the baby may be held against the shoulder at the right side of the person looking at the drawing, for burping the baby.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the bottle in an upright position in a holder, the latter being detached from the neck sling or ribbon seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the holder of FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of said holder, each indicating manner in which the tab and strap elements of FIG. 2 are part of the reinforcement for the holder along its end edges.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end view of the lower end of tie holder of FIG. 2 showing one loop adapted to encircle the wrist of an arm. FIG. 6 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5, but showing the manner in which the elements of FIG. 5 may be connected to form a still smaller loop than the one shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 shows the elements of FIG. 5 for forming loops that are of different sizes between the size of the one shown in FIG. 5 and the one shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing one of the elements at one end of the holder of FIG. 2 connected to one of the elements at the other end thereof.

In detail, the holder as shown in the drawings comprises an elongated, tubular, open ended body, generally designated 1, that is substantially equal in length to the length of a normal sized nursing bottle 2, exclusive of the nipple carrying end portion to which the nipple 3 is secured and to yieldably engage the bottle.

(FIG. 2) in any suitable manner. The bottle may be oval, in cross sectional contour, cylindrical, or polysided, without making a difference in the efficiency with which the holder will hold the bottle therein. One reason for this is that a section 4 of the holder, extending from end to end thereof in the form of a relatively narrow strap, is of stretchable, elastic material, such as elastic cloth. This will enable the holder walls to readily conform to any irregularities in the cross sectional contour of the bottle Obviously the entire tubular member 1 could be of woven elastic or any suitable elastic, except for the expense and lack of heat insulatin g propertiies.

This section 4 preferably of uniform width from end to end thereof and its opposite longitudinally extending marginal portions are sewed to the marginal portions along the opposite edges of the remainder 6 of the body 1.

The aforesaid remainder of body 1 is preferably made of a heat insulating layer of material enclosed in a covering of any suitable cloth, but preferably one of the quick drying synthetic materials, such as nylon, etc. The padding is preferably held in place by quilting stitches 7, as seen in FIG. 2.

A ribbon 8 is sewed around the inside of tubular memher 1 at one end thereof to reinforce said end, but said ribbon does not extend across the elastic strip 4. Instead, one end is sewed to the elastic strip 4 and to the remaining portion 6 of the body 1 by the same stitches that connect the strip and said remainder and from said one end the ribbon extends around and is sewed to the portion 6 along the end edge of the body 1 and to the elastic and cloth 6 at a point along the edge of the elastic opposite to the place where said one end is sewed. From this last mentioned place the ribbon extends outwardly and laterally from the side of the holder and is doubled on itself for a return of its free end to said place where it emerges from the holder and where the same stitches secure said free end to the holder.

The projecting tab formed by the projecting end of the ribbon 8 is designated 9, and is relatively short. It has the conventional male section 10 of a snap fastener secured thereto.

Another, but longer ribbon 11 is similarly secured to the other end of said tubular member, but in this instance an extension of the ribbon is doubled on itself to provide a relatively short tab 12 (FIG. 4) projecting laterally from said other end, and immediately adjoining the tab 12 the extension is again doubled on itself to provide a considerably longer extension 13, and this latter extension is formed to provide an open loop (FIG. that is adapted to encircle the wrist of an infant.

By the above structure, it is seen that a single ribbon both reinforces each end of the inelastic cloth portion 6 of the holder and also forms the tabs and loops described.

The outer end of the extension 13 is provided with a pair of conventional female elements 14, 15 of a snap fastener that are spaced apart longitudinally of the extension 13, and which elements secure both layers of the doubled portion of the ribbon of extension 13 together. This also gives a stronger support for elements 14, 15.

The shorter tab 12 carries a conventional male element 16 of a snap fastener with said element projecting in a direction away from the extension 13.

A neck sling or ribbon 17 (FIG. 1) has a conventional female element 18 of a snap fastener secured thereto, and this element 18 is adapted to be connected with the element on tab 9 at the end of the holder 1 from which the nipple end of the bottle 2 projects.

In operation, the person 19 (FIG. 1) may connect one of the female snap elements 14 or with the male snap element 16 on the tab 12 that is adjacent thereto, thus providing the loop 20 seen in FIG. 7.

The ribbon 17 may then be thrown around the neck of a person and the end thereof that is opposite to the element 17 is then inserted through the loop 20, and as soon as the bottle is in exactly the right position for the baby 21 that is held by said person, the end portion of the ribbon 17 that projects beyond loop 20 is tied in a releasable bow knot 22 either to itself or to the loop and to itself so that all that is required for loosening the ribbon is to jerk the loose end 23 (FIG. 1).

The bottle may be inclined as desired and it will be held by the sling ribbon 17 in the desired position, such as seen in FIG. 1.

It is preferable that the bow knot 22 be adjacent to the end of the holder that is opposite to the nipple so as not to attract the attention of the baby.

Since the ends of the holder are open, the amount of liquid in the bottle can readily be ascertained at any time by observation of either end of the bottle.

In order for the person 19 to burp the baby, the nipple end of the bottle and holder is merely swung to the dotdash line position 24 (FIG. 1) in a single motion and it will automatically stay in this position, and when swung back it will resume the full line position seen in FIG. 1 and need not be readjusted.

The fact that the free end of the ribbon 17 that is adapted to form the knot 22 does not carry any mechanical devices for attaching it to the holder provides a safety feature in that the free end will merely harmlessly brush the babys face in the event it should engage the face in throwing the free end around the persons neck. If said free end had a mechanical device thereon it could cause serious injury to the babys eyes or face.

Also. in the event of a miniature holder of substantially the same structure being used by a child in simulation of its mother, or nurse, the snap fastener 18 would permit ready release of the holder, and bottle from the ribbon upon relatively small force being applied, thereby insuring against any injury to the child should the sling catch on some relatively stationary object while the holder was being carried by the child.

In certain circumstances it is desirable for the bottle holder to be secured to a pillow so that the bottle will be in a position for feeding the baby. The ribbon 17 can readily be secured about such pillow with the desired degree of tightness and with no greater difficulty than in tying the knot 22 in the desired place.

FIG. 5 illustrates the loop 25 that is formed by the doubled end of the ribbon that forms the extension 13. This is a larger loop than the loop 20, and the provision of two female snap fasteners 14, 15 enables the forming of loop 20 (FIG. 7) in two sizes.

The loop 26 of FIG. 6 may be used for securing the holder to some fairly small object and to tighten the loop on such object.

As seen in FIG. 8, the extension 13 may be secured to the tab 9 at the other end of the holder to form a carrying handle or a retainer adapted to extend over the back of a hand grasping the bottle.

The holder may quickly be removed from the bottle for washing, and the snap fastener elements being of rustless material insofar as the very small amount of metal in each is concerned, will not corrode or stain. Also, the fact that the holder is preferably padded, it offers a substantial degree of protection to the bottle where the latter is of breakable material, in addition to its heat insulating property.

It is to be understood that the detailed description and drawings are not to be considered restrictive of the invention, but are merely descriptive and illustrative of a preferred form of the invention.

As one example, the holder can be used with equal facility for feeding a baby held in a position the reverse of that shown in FIG. 1 by merely reversing the position in which the bottle is suspended.

I claim:

1. A nursing bottle holder comprising an elongated, tubular, open-ended body of flexible material that includes a section of elastic material extending from end to end of said body, the said body being dapted to yieldably grip and substantially enclose a nursing bottle with the nipple end of said bottle projecting from one end of said body, a band of ribbon extending around one end of said body from one edge of said section to the opposite edge thereof and secured thereto in a position reinforcing said one end, an extension of said band integral therewith at said one end, said extension being folded on itself to provide relatively short tab projecting laterally from said one end and a loop adjacent to said tab also projecting laterally from said one end, said loop being adapted to encircle the wrist of an infant to retain said body to the hand of such infant, means respectively carried by said loop and by said tab adapted to releasably connect one with the other to enable the extension forming said loop to form a second loop when said means interengage with each other and which second loop is substantially smaller than the first mentioned loop.

2. A nursing bottle holder comprising an elongated, tubular, open-ended body of flexible material that includes a section of elastic material extending from end to end of said body, the said body being adapted to yielda-bly grip and substantially enclose a nursing bottle with the nipple end of said bottle projecting from one end of said body, a band of ribbon extending around one end of said body from one edge of said section to the opposite edge thereof and secured thereto in a position reinforcing said one end, an extension of said band integral therewith at said one end, said extension being folded on itself to provide a relatively short tab projecting laterally from said one end and a loop adjacent to said tab also projecting laterally from said one end, said loop being adapted to encircle the wrist of an infant to retain said body to the hand of such infant, means respectively carried by said 100p and by said tab adapted to rele'asably connect one with the other to enable the extension forming said loop to form a second loop when said means interengage with each other and which second loop is substantially smaller than the first mentioned loop and a strip of ribbon extending around and secured to the other end of said body opposite to said one end in reinforcing relation thereto, an extension on said strip projecting laterally therefrom to provide a relatively short tab at said other end of said body, a length of ribbon separate from said last mentioned tab, means for releasably connecting one end of said length to said last mentioned tab, said length being of a length to enable the same to encircle the neck of a person when said one end thereof is connected with said last mentioned tab for extending through said second loop for tying to itself 6 at a point between said second loop and said other end of said length so said length will provide a neck engaging sling to suspend said body from the neck of such person to hold a bottle in a nursing position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,059,511 Engleman Nov. 3, 1936 2,362,020 Morrow Nov. 7, 1944 2,394,782 Kalaske Feb. 12, 1946 2,432,001 Fisler Dec. 2, 1947 2,462,187 Helixon Feb. 22, 1949 2,494,632 Rodin I an. 17, 1950 2,518,862 Cain et al. Aug. 15, 1950 2,539,698 Pearson Jan. 30, 1951 2,644,623 White July 7, 1953 2,740,121 Seidel Apr. 3, 1956 2,796,208 OLeary et a1 June 18, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 237,293 Switzerland Aug. 1, 1945 

